Tullamore make great statement of intent with come from behind bonus point win

Leinster League Division 1A : Tullamore 29, Athy 25

Tullamore RFC produced a stirring and thoroughly deserved comeback on Sunday to take a 29–25 bonus-point win away to Athy, and in doing so left a clear statement across Division 1A as they sit now joint top of the table. From the first whistle the visitors showed belief — Conor Dunne calmly put three points on the board from the tee — but the early promise was swallowed up by Athy’s relentless forward power, whose number 8 rampaged through the first half, powering over for two tries and then carving up the defence to create a third, such was their dominance up front.

Although the scoreboard read 20–8 to Athy at the interval, Tullamore were not without their moments, and a decisive play just before half-time underlined their threat. Having earned a penalty on the halfway line, Josh Huddlestone opted for a quick tap; he slipped a clever pass to Conor Dunne, who carried hard into space and drew the cover before delivering a perfectly timed offload to the returning Liam Farrell — and Farrell required no invitation, hitting top speed to race clear and score what proved to be a crucial try before the break.

The second half opened badly for the visitors, Athy converting their momentum into another early try to secure their bonus point and push the lead to 17 with thirty minutes remaining, at which point the game looked likely to slip away. Instead, Tullamore responded with character. The pack began to lay siege to the Athy line, tireless phases of possession probing until Josh Huddlestone spotted and seized a gap at the fringe, sniping through a ruck and finishing emphatically to reignite belief among the travelling support. That score proved the catalyst; with fresh legs introduced from the bench in the form of veterans Ciaran Ennis, Mark Kennedy and Sean McCabe and the energetic Calvin Mahon, Tullamore began to dominate territory and possession and their phase play grew in precision.

From a midfield ruck a brilliant sequence of handling — Karl Dunne to Colm Heffernan to Alan Douglas to Steven Pyke — opened space for Kon Fennelly, whose pace and composure saw him glide past cover defenders and touch down under the posts in a move that epitomised the visitors’ growing confidence.

Still trailing by three, Tullamore then chose to attack rather than take the easier kick when awarded a penalty deep inside Athy territory; they sent the ball to the corner, executed a clinical lineout, and Marty Cummins marshalled a rolling maul which the pack powered over to secure not only the lead but the vital bonus point. The final whistle confirmed a memorable 29–25 victory — a performance that underlined both the squad depth and the determination that will be needed for the rest of the season. 

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TULLAMORE: Cathal Behan, Ryan Mealiffe, Adam Carthy, Marty Cummins, Alan Douglas, Kon Fennelly, Steven Pyke, Colm Heffernan, Sam Burns, Josh Huddlestone, Zach Wright, Gary Cantwell, Conor Dunne, Liam Farrell, Karl Dunne (captain). Replacements: Mark Kennedy, Kalvin Mahon, Ciaran Ennis, Eoin O’Reilly, Sean McCabe.